Still Making Pet Eye Care A Priority
DR. MAYA YAMAGATA, MS, DVM; MS, DACVO, owner of Hawai‘i Veterinary Vision Care
We all want to look into our pet’s eyes and see them happily gazing back at us. Vision is so important to us, and it is equally important in the lives of animals. Healthy eyes and good vision are fundamental for an animal’s daily function and quality of life. At Hawai‘i Veterinary Vision Care, we strive to work as a team with pet owners and general veterinarians to care for the eyes and health of our patients.
Hawai‘i Veterinary Vision Care is the first full-time specialty veterinary practice in our state, established in 1997. Owner and founder, Dr. Maya Yamagata, is a board-certified diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists.
We perform eye exams and surgery on pets (dogs, cats, rabbits, birds, guinea pigs, chinchillas) and farm animals (goats, pigs, cattle, horses), and exotic animals at zoos and marine centers. Some of the most amazing animals we have examined are those native to Hawai‘i (nēnē goose, monk seal, pueo owl and ‘alalā crow).
The Hawai‘i Veterinary Vision Care team includes (from left) Ginger Kamisugi, Dr. Maya Yamagata, Braydn Makana Look and Londyn Sydney Look. PHOTOS COURTESY DR. MAYA YAMAGATA
Animals have the same eye problems as people, such as cataracts, glaucoma and retinal detachment. Examination on animals can be challenging because our patients cannot describe their symptoms or read an eye chart. We examine animals’ eyes with lights, special scopes and lenses, just
like human eye exams. We also ask owners to check for changes in how their pet’s eyes look — color changes of the eyes, squinting of the eyelids, discharge from the eyes and vision changes such as tripping or bumping into things, or not seeing treats and toys. The sooner we detect an eye problem, the sooner we can help the animal.
We also volunteer in the National Service Animal Eye Event, a philanthropic event providing free eye examinations for qualified service and working animals. These animals are trained for search and rescue and bomb detection, to privately owned seizure detection and seeing eye dogs. It is a privilege and humbling experience to provide eye examinations for these animals who selflessly serve all of us.
Our office is conveniently located at 1021 Akala Lane in Honolulu. We also provide services to Hawai‘i Island, Maui and Kaua‘i — limited by the COVID pandemic, but which will resume in January 2022.
Call our office at 808-593-7777 or visit hawaiieyevet.com.
